서론
Psalm 117 Introduction
繁體中文
영문 원문
The occasion and the author of this psalm are alike unknown. DeWette regards it as a temple-psalm, and agrees with Rosenmuller in the supposition that it was sung either at the beginning or the end of the service in the temple. Knapp supposes that it was used as an intermediate service, sung during the progress of the general service to vary the devotion, and to awaken a new interest in the service, either sung by a choir or by the whole people.
In many manuscripts of Kennicott and De Rossi, and in several editions of the Scriptures, this psalm is united with the following. The psalm has no independent character or meaning of its own, and seems to have been designed, like the "Doxologies" in our Books of Psalms and Hymns, to be attached to other psalms as occasion might require. There is no psalm designed for public worship to which it might not thus properly be attached.
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Psalm 117:1
繁體中文
「萬國啊，你們都當讚美耶和華」——其要義是：神配得普世的敬拜，地上萬國都有義務尊崇祂這位真神。祂不僅是希伯來人的神，也是萬民的神；對祂的頌讚不當僅由一個民族來稱揚，而當由萬國來稱揚。這是舊約中預示新約更完全啟示的經文之一；在其中，聖言作者將視野擴越猶太的窄小疆界，看見全世界——整個世界——乃是真宗教要彰顯於其上、也是為其而設立的舞台。這樣的言語，正彷彿是默示的聖靈在預期以下情形時所感動寫下的：猶太人與外邦人之間的隔牆終必拆毀，地上萬國終必持守真宗教，並聯合敬拜同一位神。然而這道理直到救贖主來到才完全顯明。這事的宣告是由救贖主親自作出的（試參 Matthew 8:11；Matthew 12:21；Matthew 28:19）；它也是使徒保羅與其同胞之間不少紛擾的起因（試參 Acts 13:46；Acts 18:6；Acts 21:21；Acts 22:21；Acts 26:20、Acts 26:23）；它也是保羅特別竭力確立為基督教大真理的教義之一：萬國之間的一切隔閡都必拆毀，福音要一視同仁地傳給萬民（Romans 3:29；Romans 9:24、Romans 9:30；Romans 11:11；Romans 15:9-11、Romans 15:16、Romans 15:18；Galatians 2:2；Ephesians 2:11-18；Ephesians 3:1-9）。正是在福音之下，這樣的言語才顯得格外合宜。
「萬民哪，你們都當頌讚他」——即萬族萬民。這裏譯作「頌讚」的字——希伯來文 שׁבח（shâbach）——本義是撫慰、使平靜、抑制——例如平息波浪（Psalm 89:9）；繼而指稱頌，彷彿以頌讚來撫慰——mulcere laudibus（Pacuv）。不過撫慰或平息的意思並非必然存在於這字之中，它可以按一般意義上的稱頌來理解。誠然，我們常能藉巧妙的奉承或稱讚去安撫人——安撫憤怒、嫉妒、多疑的人——因為即使在怒氣或仇恨的支配下，也少有人不能以這方式接近，少有人不把稱讚與嘉許看得比放縱情緒更重；但我們卻不能指望這樣平息神的怒氣。我們到祂面前，是傾訴我們對祂良善的深切感受，以及對祂性情的崇敬；我們並不指望以諂媚的撫慰使祂轉怒為愛——使祂忘記祂的公義或我們的罪。
영문 원문
O praise the Lord, all ye nations - The idea is that God has a claim to universal worship, and that all the nations of the earth are under obligations to adore him as the true God. He is not the God of the Hebrew people only, but of all people; his praise should be celebrated not merely by one nation, but by all. This is one of the passages in the Old Testament, anticipating what is more fully disclosed in the New Testament, in which the sacred writer extends his vision beyond the narrow boundaries of Judea, and looks to the world, the whole world, as the theater on which the true religion was to be displayed, and for which it was designed. It is language such as would be indited by the Spirit of inspiration on the supposition that the time would come when the barrier between Jews and Gentiles would be broken down, and when all the nations of the earth would be in the possession of the true religion, and would unite in the worship of the same God. This doctrine, however, was not fully made known until the coming of the Redeemer. The announcement of this was made by the Redeemer himself (compare Matthew 8:11; Matthew 12:21; Matthew 28:19); it was the occasion of no small part of the trouble which the Apostle Paul had with his countrymen (compare Acts 13:46; Acts 18:6; Acts 21:21; Acts 22:21; Acts 26:20, Acts 26:23); it was one of the doctrines which Paul especially endeavored to establish, as a great truth of Christianity, that all the barriers between the nations were to be broken down, and the Gospel proclaimed to all people alike, Romans 3:29; Romans 9:24, Romans 9:30; Romans 11:11; Romans 15:9-11, Romans 15:16, Romans 15:18; Galatians 2:2; Ephesians 2:11-18; Ephesians 3:1-9. It is under the gospel that this language becomes especially appropriate.
Praise him, all ye people - People of all lands. The word here rendered "praise" - שׁבח shâbach - means properly to soothe, to still, to restrain - as, for example, billows Psalm 89:9; and then, to praise, as if to soothe with praises - mulcere laudibus, Pacuv. The idea of soothing or mitigating, however, is not necessarily in the word, but it may be understood in the general sense of praise. We may in fact often soothe or appease people - angry, jealous, suspicious people - by skillful flattery or praise - for there are few, even when under the influence of anger or hatred, who may not thus be approached, or who do not value praise and commendation more than they do the indulgence of passion; but we cannot hope thus to appease the anger of God. We approach him to utter our deep sense of his goodness, and our veneration for his character; we do not expect to turn him from anger to love - to make him forget his justice or our sins - by soothing flattery.
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Psalm 117:2
繁體中文
「因為他向我們大施慈愛」——他的恩慈；他的憐憫；他的愛。萬國——萬民——都能這樣說，因此本詩適合普世的讚美。尤其是鑒於神在賜下救主一事上向人類所顯的愛——這位救主並非特別或專屬於任何一個民族，乃是為世人賜下的（John 3:16）——更當如此說。
「耶和華的誠實存到永遠」——神所說的一切：他的宣告；他的應許；他憐憫的保證。這些在它們被傳揚的各地都是一樣的，在世界的各個時代也都是一樣的。真理乃是對事物本相如實的陳述；因此，真理必然始終如一。在世界最初的世代中，關於直角三角形兩條直角邊上正方形之和與斜邊上正方形之關係的定理若為真，如今亦為真，且將永遠為真；照樣，神在任何時候所宣告的，也必在歷代各地始終不變。對亞伯拉罕是真理的，對我們也是真理；對保羅是真理的，對我們也是真理；對殉道者是真理的，對我們也是真理；對我們是真理的，對世界各地的歷代萬世也必是真理，且永遠是真理。這一事實同樣是普世讚美的正當根基，因此本詩也適合在各地萬民中間使用。在我們自己的語言中，這篇詩何等經常成為基督教聖所中發出讚美之言的媒介：
願凡住在諸天之下的，
都向造物主發出讚美；
願救贖主的名被歌頌，
遍及每一片土地，出於每一種語言。
主啊，你的慈愛永無窮盡；
永恆的真理伴隨你的言語；
你的讚美必從這岸響到那岸，
直到日月升沉不再。
영문 원문
For his merciful kindness is great toward us - His kindness; his compassion; his love. All nations - all people - may say this, and therefore the psalm is adapted to universal praise. Especially may this be said in view of the love of God to mankind in the gift of a Saviour - a Saviour not for any one people especially or exclusively, but for the world, John 3:16.
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever - All that God has said: his declarations; his promises; his assurances of mercy. They are the same in all lands where they are made known, and they are the same in all ages of the world. Truth is a representation of things as they are; and truth, therefore, must be ever the same. What was true in the first ages of the world in regard to the relation of the sum of the squares on the two sides of a right-angled triangle to the square of the hypothenuse is true now, and will always be true; and so, what God has affirmed at any one time will always remain the same in all ages and in all lands. What was truth to Abraham is truth to us; what was truth to Paul is truth to us; what was truth to the martyrs is truth to us; what is truth to us will be truth to all generations of the world in all lands, and will be truth forever. This fact, too, is a just foundation for universal praise, and therefore the psalm is so adapted to be used in all lands and among all people. How often in our own language has this psalm been the medium of the utterances of praise in Christian sanctuaries:
"From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creator's praise arise;
Let the Redeemer's name be sung,
Through every land, by every tongue.
Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends thy word;
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,
Till suns shall rise and set no more.
這篇詩的場合與作者同樣不詳。DeWette 視它為聖殿詩篇，並同意 Rosenmuller 的設想，認為它是在聖殿敬拜開始或結束之時唱的。Knapp 認為它是作為敬拜中間的環節使用的，在整體敬拜進行其間歌唱，以變化敬拜的內容、喚起對敬拜新的興趣，或由詩班歌唱，或由全體會眾歌唱。
在 Kennicott 與 De Rossi 的許多抄本中，以及在聖經的若干版本中，這篇詩與下一篇相連。這篇詩沒有自己獨立的性質或意義，似乎定意像我們詩歌集中的「榮耀頌」（Doxologies）一樣，按需要附於其他詩篇。凡為公眾敬拜而設的詩篇，沒有一篇不可以這樣恰當地附上它。